2008 Volleyball

 
 

Leo Sayles

Leo Sayles Image
Leo Sayles - Head Coach - 5th Season

Leo Sayles begins his 6th season at the helm for the 2009 season. He has guided the Lions to elite status in five seasons.  On November 15, 2008, he attained his 100th collegiate victory (overall record 100-79). The past three seasons he led the Lions to a 45-9 conference record and their first consecutive 20+ win seasons in the history of the program. His 2008 team was 27-9, finishing #6 in the final NCCAA national rankings, and 2nd in the AAC. The Lions were 2007 AAC and Region XII Tourney finalists, and advanced to the NCCAA National Tournament for the first time in school history (24-17, 15-3 in AAC). The 2006 team finished the regular season as the AAC #2 team with a 27-12 overall record (14-4 conference).  Coach Sayles was named the Appalachian Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for his accomplishments in 2006. 

Coach Sayles has almost two decades of experience as a college head coach, girls/boys high school coach, camp director/coach, and USAV club coach. In his five seasons at Bryan, he has produced 2 NCCAA All-Americans, an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention, 15 All-Region, 14 All-conference, 4 AAC All-Freshman and 19 AAC Scholar-Athletes.  His teams won the AAC Champions of Character Award in 2004 and 2006, and were recognized with the 2005 AVCA Academic Team Award. The overall average GPA since 2004 is a 3.29.

Coach Sayles' high school girls' teams were ranked in the top 20 in California, and as high as #5 in Connecticut. His boys' teams advanced to the final four in Connecticut his final two seasons there. He has a number of high school conference championships and personal awards to his credit. During is 10 yrs. as a teacher, he received several awards, including the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth - Teacher Recognition award, the East Hartford School-Business Partnership Staff-Volunteer award, and the first East Hartford National Honor Society "Light Of Our Lives" award.  He has won conference/regional championships in basketball, track, and soccer as well.

Sayles is an active member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association and currently serves on the AVCA-NAIA Head Coaches Executive Committee and as the AAC Conference Volleyball Chair. He has served on Regional and State Executive Boards for FCA.  His devotions have been featured on FCA's IMPACT daily email devotions, and he was featured in a 2007 article in FCA's "Sharing the Victory Magazine."  Sayles is a licensed minister and teaches at a local church in Dayton.
 
Coach Sayles resides in Dayton with his wife of 18 years, Tanya, and their five children: Benjamin, Faith, Jonathan, Nathaniel, and Anna Rose.
 
 

2008 Volleyball Roster

#NameCl.Pos.Ht.Hometown
1Jessica JonesFRDS5-5Largo, FL
2Jessica EtressSODS5-5Stockbridge, GA
3Amanda MankeJRS5-5West Palm Beach, FL
6Jessica KayaFRDS5-1Honolulu, HI
7Amber SmithJROPP6-1Pompano Beach, FL
10Sarah LyonsSOOPP6-0Chattanooga, TN
11Ashley SoursSOMB5-9Lyndhurst, VA
12Caitlyn FullerSODS5-5Cleveland, TN
16Lauren TraubFRMH/OPP6-0Soddy Daisy, TN
18Chelsie BlackburnFROH5-8Cleveland, TN
20Laura AdamsFRS5-8Maryville, TN
21Lauren PrattSOOH5-9Oak Ridge, TN
22Kaylin CarswellSROPP5-10Lenoir, NC
23Alison YoungSOOH5-9Pelham, AL
24Robin RenfroeSRMB6-0Northport, AL
25Hannah SuitsJRS5-4Cleveland, TN
35Asheleigh HoxworthFROPP/MB6-0Knoxville, TN
Leo Sayles - Head Coach - 5th season